Apparatus for automatically lighting smudge-pots.



No. 789,618. PATENTED MAY 9, 1905. H. H. LYON.

APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY LIGHTING SMUDGE POTS.

4 APPLIOATION I'ILED NOV. 21, 1903 UNITED STATES Patented ma 9, 1905.

PATIENT 'FrrcE.

APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATIICALLY LEGHTIING SMUDGE-POTQ.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N6. 789,618, dated. May 9,1905.

I Application filed November 21, 1903. Serial No- 182,164. 7

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY H. LYON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Riverside, in the county of Riverside and State ofCalifornia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inApparatus for Automatically LightingSmudge-Pots; and I do declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings,and to the letters of reference marked thereon,which form a part of thisspecification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in automaticsmudge-lighting apparatus adapted to. be used for igniting smudge-potswithin the frost belt as a pre- Ventive from damage to orchards by thefrost,

I are common which are lighted. by hand. As

it is a well-known fact that frost occurs early in the morning, it is adiificult matter td get persons out to ignite the smudge apparatus atthe proper time. By the provisiono-f my apparatus the smudge may be madeautomatically, the apparatus being set in operation by the use of athermostat, which mgy be so adjusted as to operate at any degree oftemperature, or, if preferred, an electrical switch 5 ence markedthereon, forms a part of this application, and in which drawing I haveshown a diagrammatic view of my apparatus with parts insection. 7

Reference now being had to the details of the drawing by letter, Adesignates athermostat carrying a contact-point, and G designates ametallic strip with which said pointer is adapted to contact to closethe circuit. Said contact-point isconnected by the wire D with theprimary E of an induction-coil through the battery F, so that on closingthe circuit a current is sent through the primary. A suitable switch Gis provided whereby the circuit may be closed by use of the same, ifdesired, when the apparatus is actuated without the employment of thethermostat.

K designates the secondary of the induction-coil, both poles of whichare connected to suitable terminals within the @etallic reflector Nthrough the wires N, which may be so arranged as to cause theHertzianwaves developed to fall upon a given area of ground. It is welllinownthat the Hertzian wave can be reflected or refracted as ordinary light,and the purpose of this reflector is to control a neighboring orchard.The reflector may be erected at asuitable elevation in the orchard,while the transmitter may be located conveniently and may beinclosed ina suitable metallic casing. The receivers, of which there may be anynumber disposed in an orchalrd,

.75 the waves so as not to efiect the receivers in p each carries acoherer Q, which maybe protery B when the circuit is completed throughthe coherer. Surrounding .the metallic loop T is an inflammablesubstance L, preferably composed of glue, water, phosphorus, andpotassium chlorate, although I do not limit myself to any particularsubstance; but the above materials properly mixed are suitable,

being hard, a non-conductor, and burns the proper length of time. Thisfuse L is to be suitably attached by pins to the'briquets or floated onthe surface of the oil J, held in the receptacle J. By any mechanicalarrangement a resistance-wire without a covering of fuse may cause theignition of the smudge, in which case it will be necessary to heat thewire to incandescence.

The operation of my apparatus is as follows: On completing the'circuitthrough the primary of the transmitter as the pointer B comes in contactwith the metallic strip 0 or when the switch G closes the circuitHertzian waves are developed within the reflector. N and are caused toimpinge upon the receivers within the area controlled by the reflectorand by their action cause the circuit to be completed through thecoherer, the battery R, and the wire loop T. The current developedthrough the battery R raises the loop T to incandescence, thus firingthe inflammable compound L, which in turn ignites the oil in the smudgepot or receptacle. v 1

From the foregoing it will be observed that by the provision of anapparatus embodying the features of my invention a simple and practicalapparatus is provided for automatically igniting smudges located overvarious areas of space and which may beset to be actuated at any degreeof temperature or by the manipulationpf the thermostat for closing thecircuit.

While I haife shown and described an apparatus adapted especially forthe transmission of the Hertzian waves for the purpose of lightingsmudges, it will be understood that, if desired, I may utilize othermeans for electrical transmission in which resistance-wires arevutilized for the purpose of igniting the smudge-pots, and, if desired,'1 may make various alterations in the details of construction of theapparatus without in any way departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. An automatic smudge-lighting apparatus comprising a coherer,high-resistance wires electrically connected therewith, a source ofelectricity for heating said wires, and a Hertzian-wave apparatus forreducing the resistance through said coherer, whereby the inflammablematerial in the smudge-pot may be ignited as the wires are heated, asset forth.

2. An automatic smudge-lighting apparatus comprising a coherer, ahigh-resistance wire connected therewith, a fuse adjacent to saidresistance -wire, a Hertzian-wave apparatus for reducing the resistancethrough said coherer, as set forth.

3. An automatic smudge-lighting apparatus comprising acoherer,ahigh-resistance wire with circuit therewith through a battery, a

fuse apparatus secured to said resistance-wire;

adapted to ignite the contents of the smudgepot, a Hertzian-waveapparatus, a reflector therefor, as set forth. I

' 4. An automatic smudge-lighting apparatus comprising a smudge pot, acoherer with a high-resistance wire and battery in circuit therewith, afuse mounted upon said resistance-wire adapted to ignite the contents ofsaid smudge-pot, a Hertzian-wave apparatus, a reflector to prevent thediffusion of the Hertzian wave, a thermostat and electrical connectionsbetween said thermostat and the primary, of the induction-coil of theapparatus, and adapted to close a circuit through the induction-coil ata given degree of temperature, as set forth.

5. An automatic smudge-lighting apparatus comprising a coherer, ahigh-resistance wire and batteryconnected therewitlna fuse mounted uponsaid wire adapted to ignite the contents of the smudge-pot, aHertzian-wave apparatus with the primary and secondary of theinduction-coil, a thermostat having acontact-point electricallyconnected with the primary-of the induction-coil, an adjustablecontact-point upon the'thermostat against which the pointer is adaptedto contact at a certain degree of temperature, and connections betweensaid point and the winding of the primary induction-point, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

HENRY H. LYObk Witnesses:

O. G. Boeos, JOHN M. FaANsE.

